Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has outlined a range of major changes to its Australian operations, including new aircraft, new routes, additional flights and new airport facilities.
Speaking in Sydney at the CAPA Australia Pacific Aviation Summit, James Hogan, president and CEO of Etihad Airways, said Australia was a key and long-term market for the airline and one for which there were exciting growth plans.
Hogan said the airline’s future steps for Australia included:
· Airbus A380 aircraft from Sydney and Melbourne to Abu Dhabi
· Additional flights from Melbourne and Brisbane to Abu Dhabi
· Commencement of nonstop flights between Perth and Abu Dhabi
He also reaffirmed that Etihad Airways was already moving to increase its equity in Virgin Australia, following recent approval by the Foreign Investment Review Board to increase from a 10 percent shareholding to 19.9 percent.
Hogan also highlighted the contribution of codeshare partners such as Air France, KLM, Alitalia and Air Serbia to strengthening Etihad Airways’ position between Australia and Europe.
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